


Lunch Buddies

by koalathebear



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-28 15:57:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalathebear/pseuds/koalathebear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Up to and including episode 216 The Long Goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lunch Buddies

Ronon Dex sits by himself eating silently. He ignores the admiring and fascinated glances of the female scientists who are huddled together, speaking in giggling half-whispers. He stares straight ahead or at his food. If he turned his head to the right he would see the women smiling at him and shamelessly trying to catch his eye.

He's had offers from the female members of the expedition - both scientific and military but as far as anyone knows, he's never accepted any invitation to head back to any one's quarters. If he had, every one at Atlantis would have heard about it.

Rumour has it that he might have taken up with one or more of the Athosian women. The Athosians are more discreet about their sexual encounters and are not likely to share stories of their conquests with the women from Earth.

People of course speculate that there's something going on between Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan. They're always together. They spar together, they're a team and have a habit of exchanging wordless glances. The two of them have a special connection.

Teyla understands Ronon better than anyone else at Atlantis and even she can only guess at the things in the enigmatic warrior's head. She has her suspicions, though. She's noticed the way the Satedan's gaze follows a certain woman around the room when he thinks no one else is watching. Only she's noticed the flicker in Ronon's eyes when anyone mentions that woman although she would never ask him about it. Satedan men safeguard their emotions. Ronan and Teyla share a warrior's bond and the code requires that they ask no questions about such matters. Nonetheless, Teyla is quite certain she knows.

Dr Elizabeth Weir walks into the room carrying a tray of food. When she sees Ronon sitting on his own, she hesitates but then squares her shoulders resolutely and walks over to where he's sitting. He doesn't seem to have noticed her because he doesn't turn to look at her, nor does he acknowledge her presence by any word or gesture.

She clears her throat quietly and is about to speak when he says expressionlessly.

"No need to apologise".

He's been aware of her since the moment she entered the room. Elizabeth's steps are always brisk and no-nonsense and her back very straight. He would recognise that proud tilt to her jaw anywhere as she regards the world with cool assurance. She holds herself like a queen. In another woman it would be arrogance but in Elizabeth Weir it is a reassuring calmness. She is a woman who has grown accustomed to making difficult decisions because she has been given no other choice.

Nonetheless, even queens can be disconcerted and there is one person in Atlantis who can fluster Elizabeth Weir.

Elizabeth stares at that one person now, slightly disconcerted. "Ronon, I ..."

"That's what you were coming over to say, right?" he asks her, still staring ahead, a faintly bored and disinterested look on his tanned face. His thickly lashed eyes give nothing away.

She stands there holding the tray, at a loss for words but Ronon notes that even in the midst of her confusion, Elizabeth remains very still. He has always admired her economy of motion. Teyla is sleek and sensuous, like one of the native felines from the dark, leafy forests of his home world. Even when she is not moving, she gives the impression of seductive movement. Sheppard always has an eagerness bordering on impatience about him. For Sheppard it's always about the next step, the mission and what needs to happen next. Rodney McKay is the perfect antithesis of stillness. He is constantly moving and talking with unrestrained, twitching restlessness. To be around him is exhausting.

Elizabeth Weir, at least on the surface, is the epitome of stillness. Her face is sharp angles and determination. She has elegant cheekbones and a stubborn jawline. The only softness is in her eyes and a certain something about her mouth. During mission briefings she always listens intently, her whole body still and attentive as she absorbs everything around her. She will stand there, head tilted slightly as everyone around her fights to speak. As time has passed, Ronon has found it increasingly harder to take his eyes off her. So he doesn't. These days, he allows his gaze to rest on her, savouring and enjoying as they move over her face, across her pale skin, over her conservative clothing that keeps her body covered yet is somehow all the more tantalising for what it hides.

"May I sit down?" she asks him.

He nods wordlessly and she debates which seat to take. Beside him, across from him or adjacent him. In the end, she slides into the chair opposite him.

"So," she starts to say.

"So," he repeats agreeably, his eyes not moving from her face. She is staring back at him. Her eyes drop to his mouth, flicker to the tattoo on the side of his neck, travel down his powerful bare arms and then return to his impassive face.

"I ..."

"Apology accepted," he tells her.

Elizabeth looks exasperated. "Ronon would you please let me at least finish what I'm trying to say?"

"It's pretty obvious. You've got that look on your face that you always get when you're going to give one of your speeches".

Elizabeth looks faintly embarrassed. "I get a look on my face?"

"Yes," he says.

His eyes lock with hers and neither of them care that everyone else in the room is staring at them. Neither of them even notice the staring. He's too busy studying the way her dark hair curls against her cheek, and she's too busy noticing that his eyes rest on her almost possessively. Elizabeth can almost see hot flames flickering amongst banked coals when she looks into his eyes. This man unsettles her, she doesn't understand him at all but for some reason she is fascinated by him. Ronon doesn't speak, he just waits and watches like he always does.

The silence becomes too much and Elizabeth gives a nervous cough and tries to force herself to eat. "You're right, I was going to apologise. I'm very sorry for what happened during ... The Incident ... but you do look well". she tries to say in a bracing voice.

The Incident. There were so many disasters and 'incidents' that took place in their lives but the day her body had been taken over by an alien being and proceeded to shoot Ronon Dex was now referred to by one and all as The Incident.

"I'm fine," he tells her. "I heal fast. Always have. And Dr Beckett's a good healer. I wasn't on my back for long," he pauses for a beat before saying. "The flowers were nice".

Elizabeth looks very embarrassed. "Oh, they told you they were from me?"

"Sheppard gave me a gun, Teyla gave me a knife, McKay gave me some ancient protective device. Who else would give me flowers?" he asked her.

"I didn't really know what else to ..."

"They were nice," he repeats briefly and doesn't tell her that when the flowers were brought in, he held them and breathed deeply, imagining that he could smell the soft, elusive, floral fragrance of Elizabeth Weir.

"Do... did your people have a custom of giving gifts to people who are injured?"

"No. Otherwise we would have been giving gifts all the time." He pauses and then says. "Thank you".

His gaze locks with hers again and she finds that she can't look away. His gaze is mesmerising, almost demanding in its intensity. Her mouth becomes very dry and she finds it hard to think of things to say. The corner of his mouth turns up in a faint smile as if he is fully aware of his effect on her and the way he unsettles her.

Elizabeth's skin feels strangely flushed and hot and she knows that it's all because of him.

"You going to eat that?" he asks her, indicating the bread roll on her tray. She shakes her head. The Athosians have been growing a wheat-like plant but the bread that they make with it is coarse and slightly bitter. She hasn't grown accustomed to it yet. She reaches down to give the bread roll to him at the same time he reaches out to take it from her tray.

Their fingers brush and she flinches at the heat that rushes through her at even that lightest of touches. Her eyes fly to his and although he looks slightly taken aback, there is an oddly thoughtful expression in his eyes. His hand is much larger than hers and his fingers touch her hand lightly, his fingers stroking her skin lightly. She starts to tremble and hastily pulls her hand away.

Ronon's mouth curves slightly and he takes the bread roll and brings it to his mouth, biting into it with his strong white teeth, his gaze not moving from hers. Elizabeth looks away and her attention is momentarily distracted by the sight of Major Lorne going to stand across from Dr Lindsay Novak who is also sitting on her own.

She watches as Lorne reaches out to take a pencil from behind Novak's ear and the affectionate intimacy of the gesture startles her.

"Do you think ...?"

"Yes," Ronon tells her, answering her question and Elizabeth gets a very thoughtful expression on her face as she turns back to face him. She glances back again to stare at Lorne and Novak who are leaning towards one another and laughing.

"He can't take his eyes off her," and Ronon starts to tell her about some off world mission where Lorne was assigned to watch out over Novak. Elizabeth looks fascinated and asks him a question that he answers. The other people in the room are watching incredulously. They can't hear what he's saying but Ronon Dex is talking, unprompted and in full sentences. Elizabeth Weir is laughing and gesturing about something with her hands while Ronon Dex nods and laughs as well, his laughter deep and rich.

Elizabeth finishes eating. She knows she should go but her reluctance to leave is very apparent.

"So we're ... uh ... cool?" Elizabeth asks him.

Ronon stares at her quizzically. He raises an eyebrow. "Cool?"

"Yes, it's slang from Earth ... it means that everything's fine and all right again," Elizabeth explains in her teacher's voice.

Ronon smiles. "I know what it means. Just sounds kind of strange coming from you". His deep voice is laced with amusement.

Elizabeth looks offended. "What are you implying? I can be cool," she blurts out before she realises how uncool she has just made herself sound.

"I already said there's no need to apologise for shooting me," Ronon tells her. "It's interesting though".

"What?"

"That when you're possessed, you kiss the colonel but shoot me. I'm not sure if I should be angry or jealous," he tells her. He's smiling.

Elizabeth's jaw drops.

Before she can speak, Rodney's voice can be heard over her headset. "Elizabeth".

She activates her headset. "Rodney?" she answers. A look of resignation flickers across Ronon's face.

"We need to see you in the control room".

"I'm on my way," she says briefly.

She looks up at Ronon but before she can speak, he says,"I know, McKay calls, you have to go".

"Yeah".

"Yeah," he repeats and she gets to her feet to leave.

"I'll see you around," she tells him.

"See you," he counters and she leaves. She doesn't look back but she knows that he watches her leave.

***

Ronon Dex walks into the room carrying a tray of food. His arrogant swagger draws the attention of almost every woman in the room and some of the men, too. They all stare at him even though everyone knows where he's going to sit.

One woman doesn't look up. Elizabeth Weir is sitting on her own, drinking a cup of tea with careful concentration. Ronon smiles slowly. No one displays such patent enjoyment of a hot cup of tea like Elizabeth.

He walks over to her table with his carelessly effortless stride. Without asking, he puts his tray down on the table and slouches into the seat opposite her.

"Dr Weir," he greets her.

"Ronon," she says, inclining her head coolly.

His smile broadens. "Word is, Lorne took Dr Novak in a puddle jumper for a picnic on the mainland".

Elizabeth's eyes widen and she leans forward conspiratorially to listen.

Ronon reaches out and takes the bread roll from her tray without asking at the same moment Elizabeth reaches out to take his blue jelly. He doesn't bother to protest anymore. She doesn't know it, but he doesn't even like the jelly, but he knows she does and he knows she enjoys stealing it from him.

Ronon's smile smile broadens as he listens to Elizabeth recount a story about her day. There's something else she doesn't know yet. Food isn't the only thing Dr Elizabeth Weir has stolen from Ronon Dex. Then again, from where he comes from, something isn't considered stolen if it's willingly given.

  
**The End**   



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